Crafty Moms Share

Patriot Day

Today I am going to just say a prayer and a thank you. Thirteen years ago a tragedy rocked our world. I remember that morning so well and still get chills thinking about it. Although I was not there or even near there and no one I knew personally was injured, the day changed my life. It is a memory I do not share with Hazel. I am thankful I do not have to yet. She is too young to understand--we are all too young to understand. So today I say thank you to all the emergency workers who risked their lives that day and every day and to their families. So thank you to our police officers, fire fighters, EMTs and to all who did something to help another. The blessing in such a tragedy is to see how as a country we step in and help and care. In our society where everyone seems to only look out for themselves, a tragedy like this unites us and puts us back into a place where it is about others. With that I offer this prayer on this sad day.

"Wtc-2004-memorial".

Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Dear God, Please help us move past the wars and fighting to find the peace we all want and You desire for us. Please be with all the families who lost someone during the horrific events eleven years ago. Provide them with your love and care and peace of knowing loved ones are with You now. Please watch over all the people who were injured that day--both physically and emotionally. Be with each one to help strengthen him/her. Please also, God, help the terrorists who caused these horrific events understand that this is not the way to get what they want. Please help them learn about your love and peace. Finally God, please watch over all the firefighters, police officers, EMTs, and armed forces who risk their lives every day for the safety of our country. Please bless America and all of your children. Amen.

DIY Hair Ribbons for Pony Tails and Pig Tails

With the warm weather Hazel likes to wear her hair up. With the school uniforms, I wanted to have something nice to put in it that would match the uniforms. Her school colors and uniforms are navy, yellow and white. I bought a package of hair elastics and some ribbons of those colors. Joann Fabrics has the ribbons for fifty cents a spool. I started making what I am calling hair streamers. I bought her ones similar to this to match a dress at Gymboree. They were literally a bunch of ribbons folded over the elastic and sewn into place. I knew I could do this.

I cut two of each color and folded them in half and sewed them together on my machine. Very easy!! Hazel loves them and has been getting many compliments on them.

For the bows, I took the three colors and wound them several times around my hand. Then I took a piece of one (I chose navy) and wrapped it around the center of the other ribbons and the elastic. I sewed the ends of this ribbon and then I sewed down the center of it so the bow could not pull out on either side.

Again she loves them and has been getting compliments on them!!

Now putting up her hair is easy each morning and I am not searching for matching elastics and if I put ribbons in they are not falling out before we get to school. A perfect and cheap solution!

For more hair ideas check out my ribbon barrettes and other hair things Pinterest Board.

Mermaid Play Date

So to end summer on a positive note, we had a Mermaid Play Date. Hazel originally wanted a mermaid birthday party, but had trouble choosing between Frozen and mermaid. We decided since we would only want girls at the mermaid one it was a better play date. (Several of her best friends are boys.) So we sent out an e-vite. Yes, they have a free mermaid e-vite! We invited the three girls from Hazel's Pre-K class and her friend from gymnastics. We asked everyone to bring an 18-inch doll or stuffed animal. Unfortunately, only one of her girlfriends and her older sister could come, but the three girls had a blast.

Hazel and I had big plans for the play date, but they did not all happen due to our busy schedule leading up to it. I did make all the 18-inch dolls a mermaid tail. We had them at the kids table with seats for the girls and the dolls. I provided a tutorial and pattern for the tail. I also cut out felt tails and sewed on ribbon for the girls. I estimated the older sister's size and guessed pretty well. The girls started by decorating their felt tails with glitter glue, stickers, shells, etc.

Next the girls had a potato sack/pillow case trial. We thought it would be like walking like a mermaid if she could leave the water. We just did a fun trial and no race since two of the girls were five.

Then the girls wanted a snack, so we headed back to the patio and to the snack table.

On our snack table are green grape seaweed skewers, oyster cookies, sand dollar cookies, and three kinds of Goldfish. Plus for decoration we have a foam mermaid castle. I bought the kit for the castle at Michaels when it was on sale. Hazel likes to pretend it is another dollhouse. We had planned to bake cookies, but with limited time, we improvised.

Our oyster cookies are Golden Oreos opened with a yogurt covered raisin in them. We added blue sugar sprinkles for looks and then closed them up. The yogurt covered raisins were the only white roundish things I could find at the store quickly.

For our sand dollar cookies, we opened the Golden Oreos and Hazel ate the lids. Then we used a toothpick to trace the flower design into the filling. Hazel enjoyed making both of our sea cookies and the grape seaweed. She also loved picking out the Goldfish. We also bought some mixed berry juice boxes because they were blue. If I had time we would have made covers for them, but we didn't have the time. After a snack the girls did the final craft. It was a handprint mermaid on a little tote bag.

For the face we used a small play dough lid. Then the girls used the glitter glue for the faces and hair. While these dried the girls played in the yard and in Hazel's new clubhouse. Hazel was excited for her friends to see it.

We did some quick decorating with green crepe paper. We made seaweed on the walls and stairs.

Hazel and I decided we would try this theme again for a play date and get more of our ideas completed!! Maybe next summer.

For more mermaid ideas check out: